2012 ADAC GT Masters in Germany

Master Class - Corvette takes on the world in Germany’s ADAC GT Masters

The ADAC, or Allgmeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V., is the largest automobile club in Europe. Founded in 1903, it provides member motorists with essentially the same services that AAA does in the U.S. But quite unlike AAA, the ADAC supports motorsports activities in Germany. The organization adheres to FIA rules, which are administered by the Deutscher Motor Sport Bund e.V., or DMSB.

In 1993, the ADAC created a grand-touring sports-car series called the ADAC GT Cup. Boris Said competed in the 1993 season, driving a Callaway Supernatural C4 coupe. Said didn’t win the championship, but his daring driving style and colorful personality made him a hit with German racing fans.

The GT Cup ended in 1997 because of dwindling interest, but 10 years later, the ADAC GT Masters series was introduced. Mirroring the FIA GT3 championship format, it combines professional and amateur drivers in one racing entry. Only cars approved by the FIA are allowed to compete.

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The ADAC GT Masters offers two championships each season—one for professional drivers and one for amateurs. Toni Seiler from Switzerland finished Third in last year’s amateur category, driving this 2012-spec Callaway Competition C6.

Each year 16 one-hour races are held over eight weekends. To help keep expenses down, all but four of the events are held in Germany. Each team is required to field two cars, and the grids are typically filled with 35-40 competitors.

Each race follows the same format: two free practice sessions and one 50-minute qualifying session per driver, with eight timed laps and two one-hour races. Stop-and-go penalties are administered for overly aggressive driving and pit-stop infractions. Mandatory pit stops take place for driver changes and tire-pressure adjustments, and cars must spend a minimum of 70 seconds on each stop.

In 2012, 12 manufacturers participated in the ADAC GT Masters series, yielding a wide variety of entries. We’ve provided a short summary of most of these cars in the accompanying photo captions.

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The No. 28 Callaway Competition C6 had three victories and two other top-three finishes, but problems with the car’s new electrical system knocked it out of three of the 16 races. The team came to the last race at Hockenheim with a slim lead in the Driver and Team Championships, but a collision with a Porsche kept them off the podium and pushed them down into Second Place for the season.

Callaway Competition has been involved with the ADAC GT Masters since 2007, and captured the Team Championship honors in 2008. Last year the team entered four Corvettes, three of which were totally revised for 2012.

Modifications included relocating the clutch and flywheel to the front of the transmission, which enabled the team to move the engine down and back 1.5 inches for better weight distribution. A new open driveshaft was then installed in place of the troublesome torque tube. Moving the powerplant aft also provided extra room in the engine compartment, allowing the team to install the radiator upright for superior cooling. New ductwork around the radiator vented air through two large openings in the hood.

The LS7 engine, meanwhile, was discarded for a non-supercharged LS9 built by APP Racing Engines. The LS9 puts out similar power when equipped with the FIA-mandated restrictor, but its smaller displacement allowed for a reduction in the mandatory minimum weight of the car.

Finally, electric power steering improved the performance and consistency of these now 5-year-old race cars.

The one change that proved troublesome was a new ECM wiring system. The No. 28 Corvette had three non-finishes due to problems with the setup, which probably cost it the championship. In spite of this handicap, the car, driven by Diego Alessi and Daniel Keilwitz, was one of the fastest in the field. The pair came to the final race in Hockenheim with a slight lead in the championship, needing to finish Second or better to win.

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Ex-F1 driver Heinz Harald Frentzen teamed up with Andreas Wirth in the No. 27 Callaway Competition Corvette. Here, Frentzen dukes it out with a BMW Z4.

With only a few minutes remaining, Alessi was in second place when a Porsche drove into him at a corner. The officials blamed Alessi for the collision and gave him a 30- second penalty. This effectively ended the team’s chance of winning the championship. They finished Second in both the Team and Driver Championships, behind the winning SLS Mercedes.

The ADAC GT Masters offers fans an unrivaled opportunity to watch the world’s top sports cars compete against one another. It’s exciting to see this private Corvette team running consistently near the top of the heap.

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2012 ADAC GT Masters in Germany

Single-class GT racing is very popular and hotly contested in Europe, with typical starting grids including 40-plus entries from 10 or more manufacturers. This photo was taken at the season-ending ADAC GT Masters Race in Hockenheim, Germany.

The ADAC GT Masters offers two championships each season—one for professional drivers and one for amateurs. Toni Seiler from Switzerland finished Third in last year’s amateur category, driving this 2012-spec Callaway Competition C6.

The Ford GT has been out of production since 2006, at which time Swiss racing team Matech Concepts converted several street cars into GT3 racers. The team was disbanded after the sudden death of it owner, but the cars remain very competitive with new owners.

This V-10 Audi R8 LMS Ultra is very different from the R8 that competes in the U.S. Grand Am GT series. Notice the huge wing, wide wheels, and many aero aids attached to the body for downforce. These cars are very fast, and their owners are directly supported by the Audi factory.

A Porsche 911 GT3R leads a BMW Z4, a Ferrari 458, and a McLaren MP4-12C around the Zandvoort circuit in Holland. These manufacturers all sell race cars that are built to GT3 specifications. The Porsche and BMW are the quickest of this bunch and are consistent podium threats. Photo by Gregg Lengyle

The No. 28 Callaway Competition C6 had three victories and two other top-three finishes, but problems with the car’s new electrical system knocked it out of three of the 16 races. The team came to the last race at Hockenheim with a slim lead in the Driver and Team Championships, but a collision with a Porsche kept them off the podium and pushed them down into Second Place for the season.

Although better known for his GT3 Lamborghinis, Hans Reiter and staff built this outrageous Camaro for the ADAC GT Masters. It’s powered by a 7.9-liter Katech engine, sits atop a Lambo suspension (!), and was even piloted by Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin in one race. The car is quite fast in a straight line but suffers from handling problems.

Reiter Engineering has also been running these Lamborghini Gallardo LP600 cars for several seasons. The rules don’t allow this car to run its factory four-wheel-drive system, so its handling is somewhat compromised.

This massive BMW M6 is one of the more unusual GT3 entries. It took Alpina Racing several seasons to get this car sorted out, but it won the ADAC championship in 2011. For that reason, it carried the No. 1 designation in 2012.

Believe it or not, the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT3 was developed using the chassis from the previous-generation Viper. This No. 5 SLS won the Driver and Team Championships in 2012. Photo by Gregg Lengyle

Another odd GT3 entry is this highly modified Nissan GTR. Gone is the turbo V-6 that powers the street car, and in its place is a modified V-8 truck engine. Again, the FIA does not allow the car to run all-wheel drive. It never showed much speed early in the season and was later withdrawn. Photo by Gregg Lengyle

Erstwhile Corvette Racing nemesis Prodrive built this Vantage V12 GT3 car for Aston Martin. A consistent performer, it finished in the top 10 last year.

Ex-F1 driver Heinz Harald Frentzen teamed up with Andreas Wirth in the No. 27 Callaway Competition Corvette. Here, Frentzen dukes it out with a BMW Z4.

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